Falls County Courthouse

1st Courthouse

Building Completion Date: 1851
County Seat: Viesca (moved to Adams, later renamed Marlin)
Present Status: Gone
Building Materials/Description: Vernacular, log cabin, “a primitive log affair, with but one room and no flooring at first. Cedar logs were split and legs inserted for seats, and the door opened on the south, with a large post oak for shade in front of it. In the building, incidently, not only was court held, school and church services were held there also. Political speaking and caucuses took place and social meetings, even to dances were often in order.”

2nd Courthouse

Building Completion Date: 1855
County Seat: Marlin
Present Status: Gone
Building Materials/Description: Brick, 40′ x 40′ x 20′, 2 story, $5,000. “Apparently there were changes in the original plans for the house. The original plans called for a structure costing $5000 (including fixtures, —etc, “said courthouse to be forty feet square, built of good merchantable brick, 20 feet high, square roof of zinc or as the court may direct hereafter: to have four rooms below: to have four chimneys, one fireplace in each room and four in the court-room above; said house to have four inside doors and eight windows below and 12 windows above; also four outside doors to close the galleries running through the house east, west, north, and south: the windows to have good venetian blinds and to have a cupelo on to of said house; and said house to be well furnished: also have stairs running from center of said house to the wall: said house to be finished in workmanship manner.”